Concentric-circular-cell ice-making apparatus.



G. T. VOORHEBS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 190B. I

Patented Feb.14,1911. i

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

CONCENTRIC CIRCULAR CELL ICE MAKING APPARTUS.

YVITNESSESQ', mz 11. ma

l G. T. VOORHEES. GONGBNTRIG CIRCULAR CELL 10E MAKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1908.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llllllllllllll ye! ab 1m @QIVLI Fig. l 5.

ATTORN EY To all whom 'tt may concern:

GARDNER Tur'rs `vooRHEns, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

- coNcENTRIc-GIRGULAR-CELL ICE-Manilva Arrnni'rus.

' Be it known that I, GARDNER Tnr'rs VoonHnEs, residing at Boston, inthe county of Suffolk and State of 'Massachusetts have invented certainnew and useful Improvenientsin Concentric-Circular-Cell Icelvlakof whichthe following is a makes large hollow cylinders or hollow conicalfrustums of ice-that can be cut into cakes of any desired ape andweightand has manifold advantag over all forms of can ice orA plate icem ing devices now known to me. i

In the drawings Figures land 2 arev sectional views of circular icefreezing cells in a tank adapted to make ice. Fig. 1 is a sec tion online C', D, ofvFig. 2, Fig. 2 is a secl 'tion on line A, B, of 1.- Figs.3,4, 5

are detailed views of the ice freezing surfaces. Fig. 3 is a section vonline C, D, of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a section on line A, B of Fig. 3.` Fig.5is a section on line E, F of Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are modifications ofFigs. l and 2. Fig. 6-is a partvpl'an and v *F ig. 7 a section on lineA, B ofFig. 6. Figs.

-' 8 and 9 Yare modified forms of the freezing cell, Fig. 8 is asectionxonline C, D of Fig.

9 and'Fig. 9 is a section on line A, B of Fig.

8. Figs. 10 and 11 are horizontalsections through modifiedforms'ofcells, Fig. 12 isa' vsection showing a modified form lof cellthat may be used in place of "the cells shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig..l3,shows a modified form of upright 6.` Fig.,14'shows'a`thread ed rivetvor stay; bolt to replace 'upright 6'. Fig. shows-a modification wherethecircular cell is made up of anumber of complete cellsbolted'orrivetedtogether.

In all the figures 1, isa tank, 2 vfreezing surfaces, 3 ice,- 4 water, 5a cooling or heat transferring iuid.- 'Y

In Figs.` 1,2, 3, 4, 5; 6 are uprights, 72l an upper ring,7 b a lowerring, 8 rivets, 9 holes Specication of Letters Patent. Application iledApril 15, 1,908.I Serial No. 427,136.

-iws through valves 14,v 15 and A X and Y.

Patented heb. vii, rari.

in uprights 6, 10, 11 supply pipes. to cells X, Y; 12, 13 return pipesfrom cells X, Y; 14, 15, 16, 17, '18, 19,20, 21 valves, 22, 23 aAcooling fluid supply pipe, 24, a cooling iuid return pipe, 26, 27 aheating 4fluid supply pipe, 28, 29 a heating fluid return pipe. YThetank 1 contains the circular cells X, dY that may or may not be rivetedto the tank bot'- torn byrivets 8a, Figs. 3 and 4. The cells andtheuprights 6 and to each Other; thus forming t-he cells X 'and Y with theannular vspaces X and Ya. 30 are lifting rods'that. can bey frozen intothe ice 3. Z are thawing cells adapted to have a heating fluidcirculated through them through inlet Za and outletZ" and down one sideand up the vother -side nof partition Z.

Referringto Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 the operation is as follows: Tank 1,is-lled with water, valves 18, 19, 20 and 21- are-closed` and a coolingfluid from supply pipe 22, 23 pi es 10 and 11 and into annular spacesXa, l of cells The cooling fluid then circulates between the freezingsurfaces 2 of the cells and flows through lholes 9 of the uprights 6land after 'completing a half circle in cells in each horizontaldirection the cool-ing fluid Hows fromy the cells through return pipes12, and 13,l and return valves 16 and 17 and out through returnpipe 24,25. Suitable means are provided whereby the cooling'fluid, pref- .erablybrine, is pumped by a pump P (of yany desired design, driven from anydesired source of power) through conduit 25?* from pipe ..25 to-pipe 22through a heat removing device R (of any desired design, but here shownas ashell r3 -containing coilr1 7', for

the circulation of a heat removing fluid therethrough) to remove .theheat that was taken up bythe cooling fluid in its passa-ge 'through thecells X, Y. In

the cells X, Y the cooling Huid coolst-he surfaces l2'and so causes aportion of the water in contact with these surfaces to frin'into ice 3.This ice is 'frozen inthe -form of hollow cylinders (or in Fig. 12 intheform of ice onanycell as X has become of the desired thickness, thecirculation of the cool ing uid in thatcell is stopped by shuttingvalves 14, 17, then valves 18, 21 are opened assing through 'hollowconical frustums).to theinner and i louter circumferences of the cells.When the are made up of the upper ring 7? and lower .65

ring' 7b, uprights, and plates 23,2", 2, 2d, etc., riveted by rivets 8to the rings 7a and 7l i and a heating is circulated throughpreferablybrine, is pumped by pump P2 (of any desired design, driven from anydesired source of power) from pipe 29 to pipe 26 through conduit 26a anda heatingdevice H (of any desired design but here shown as a shell h3vcontaining a heating coil h1 h2 `for the' circulation of a heatingfluid therethrough) to add the heat given up by the heating tluidin itspassage through cells X, Y. In 'passing through the cell X the 'heatingfluid causes the ice in contact with the surfaces 2 tol thaw., soreleasing the ice 3 lfrom-'the freezing surfaces 2, the ice so ,f

formed can n ow be lifted as one piece from the tank by lift-ing rods 30or can be cut into cakes of convenient size and. weights by` thawingcells' Z or their equivalent or by steam cutters of the Pussey type.After the ice has been thawed from the surfaces 2 the valves 16, 17 A togas pump P1 lthrough con-1 duit 24, 25, its compresslon by said pumpland its vdischarge' throughconduit 25into;l R wherein `itis condensed to'a liquid andv circulation of the heating fluid through the cell X isstopped by shutting valves 18, 21, and after the ice hasbeen removed andmore water ladded tothe tank the circulation of the cooling Huid isagain started byopening valves 14,' 17 and so the vvarious cells X, Y,

etc., alternately freeze and thaw ice to and from their surfaces. Ifdesired the heating and cooling Huid can be a volatile fluidas' ammoniain which case P1 is a gas pump and also a heatingdeyice and R is a'means-for removingheat and H and P2 are not lused. Hee the circulation ofcooling water through coil r, r2 of R condenses ammonia vapor to liquidammonia in Shell r3, which liquid flowsv through conduitA 22, 23 tovalves 14, 1 5, the cooling of the cells Xv Y being effected by theexpansion of theliquid ammonia.` through expansion valves 14, 15

and its conduction throughconduits 23, 10 and 22, 11fto cells X Y endits, evaporation in the cells and its exhaust from the cells'Aorf1'i1s`f `ets:8",y .each section here being rivete'zd and made tightvat the shopsbefore shipment Although ice :formed on mycircular cells115' of the circle-'from 'astraight iline is'not no.-

through 'conduits 12, 24 and 13, 25

reconducted through conduit 242,:` 2 3 to expansion valves 14, 15. Afterthe'ice l011 cellX is of suiicient thickness, valves 14 and 17 are.

shut and hot gas fromfpuinp P, is allowed to iow through pipe 25% 29"past valve "119'Li 'to'conduit 29, 28 and thence'through-valve 21 andconduit v,28, 12 into and through cell` X wherein it-is.- condensed intoa 'liquid'.in.4 thawing the v'ice from frozen contact-with; ythefreezing surfacesof the Celli/and- ,as aliquid is allowed toescape and.4joinlthe evaporatilQlg.

liquid in cell. Y-throughco'm duits 10, 27, 26 26, 11 vand `valves18,19.

luiFigS.. 3 and 4; 31 are p1u`gsthat can he and out-let 12a.

where the upper ring of `Figsf?) and 4 is heating fluidi (herebrine/only can be used) 1s circulated through each division of the cellbetween upi'ights .6 through a. supply pipe 10" and ar/eturn'pipe12b.

the plates that form the surfaces' 2 tothe uprights 6, here the platesare lapped in place of butted as in Fig. .5, withanextra u right 6between the vertical edges of each' pliite.' Fig. 11 shows amodiied formof riveting the plates to uprights 6 where the upright's are only ateach of the vert-ical edges 'of the plates as in Fig. 5 but'where theplates formlclined 'so that in the section here Shown the water and basavertical cross section like and weight to .ice blocks usuallyy frozen 1nIn Figs is `circular in horizontal section' the departure ,ticeablewhenthe areof-ylrge dia'meter.

land fany. desiredliiepth; l 1.- [It fisffwell' 'ownthtcircnl 4 'madethinner metl-thiieel having flat surfacesfand e withfthel The outerthatof a cylindr" f' my issubieotedfto Theinner surfaceofmy cell iS"-subjected to strains -similar to'those in an arch;v vS0 that both theaad 'outer surfacesfqfiiy Figs. 8 and 9 show a modiiedfonn of cell' icemay,-if desired' be madefrorn *distilled ets' or stay bolts andthe'blocks of ice are cut futpf the usual size of say,11:,inches'thick-by-22 Wide can-he "agsiof stayed'. r vfea-1 is likecirculated through the coil through inlet 10a omitted and-the uprights 6are withoutnholes 9 of Figs. 1` 2. 3, 4, andthe cooling and Fig. 10shows a modified wform of riveting .90 ing surfaces 2 arelapped in placeof'b 1`1 tt ed.

Fig.l 12 :shows how all the watenbetween the opposed'surfaces/2fcanfgbefrozen and reg 1 moved by' having the'free'zingsurfaces inet 1 that ofcan ice. Theice so formed isa lioli low frustumof a cone and can be cut into cakes that will approximate in'shape, 100

10 and11'where the edges-of the plates lap, the, uprightsv may bemodified l less are stronger than like areas of vfiat Surface of equaldepth and consequently, will require material forl their constructionthan simi* lar flat surfaces. The above applies to my cell when full ofliquid with no water or ice on its inner or outer surfaces. VFor equalstrength the plates forming theinner surface of my cell should bethickerthan those forming the outer surface of the cell.

[In the economical construction of `the freezing cells it will beevident that the construction shown yin Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, 5 requires the.plates to be very accurate and to have true'vertical edges and theinner plates have different drilling for rivets from that of the outerplates. The construction shown in Fig. l0 will be more economical as allthe plates except one or more making-up plates in each circumference canhere be of equal horizontal .widths and have like drilling on theirvertical, edges, while the center row of rivet holes can be drilledduring erection if desired-.- L The uprights G here forming guides' forthe drill through their rivet holes.

Moreover the vertical edges of the plates in.

this construction do not require to Xbe trued upand accurate as in Figs.l, 9., 3, 4, 5..

lIt will be evident that all the trouble with end thawing as in ordinaryrectangular plates or cells is overcome by my circular cell and thatwith a cell having inclined surfaces `like Fig. l2 that a substitute forcan ice-making tanks results where no pipe coils or movable cans arerequired. My tankA exposes less outside surface to loss of refriger`ation than any other form of tank of the same ice-making capacity. Ibelieve .I am broadly entitled to this method of and apparatus forconcentric circular ice-making.

surfaces, and while I have shown various ways of constructing andoperatlng such-surfaces,'I wish to broadly claim .the general principleof freezing ,ice on and thawing it from the inner and outer surfacesoftwo or more'concentric circular pairs' of freezing surfaces.

In the claims when I speak ofcircular sec-' tions, I mean sections'thatare either circular or approximately so, and when I say concentric, Imean concentric or approximately so, and when I say annular IYIneanannular or approximately so. It is evident that it will bepractically impossible` tolpakeV the freezing surfaces as true circles,or make them exactly concentric and although I prefer that th`e freezingsurfaces should be approximately circular and concentric,I distinctlymean to cover inthe claims all cases of construction whereby ythegeneral. prin. ciple is involved even if the centers of the variqusfreezing surfaces should not coincide or if the freezing surfaces arequite a littleout of round, or both.

Claims:

l. In an ice making system a plurality ofl frozen to said cellsconsisting of two circular concentric walls forming freezing surfaces,the walls, of each cell having a space between them adapted for thecirculation of a heat transferring fluid therein, the opposed freezingsurfaces ofv adjacent cells having an annular space between them'adapted for the formation of ice therein, on said freezing surfaces 2.In an ice making system a 'plurality of cells consisting of two circularconcentric walls forming freezing surfaces, the walls of each cellhaving a space 'between them adapted for the circula-tion of a'heattransferring fluid therein, the opposed freezing surfaces ofv adjacentcells having 'an annular space between them adapted to hold water to befreezing surfaces,- conduits to convey the heat transferring fluid toand from said cells, means to cut off the circulation of the heattransferring fluid from any cell.

3. In anice making ysystem a plurality of cells consisting'of twocircular concentric walls forming freezing surfaces, the walls of eachcell having a space between them adapted for the .circulation of a heattransferring Huid therein, the opposed freezing surfaces of adjacentlcells having an annular space between them adapted to hold water to befrozen t-o said freezing surfaces,

conduits to convey the heat transferring uid to and from said cells,means Vto take heatl fromthe heat transferring fluid.

4. In an ice making system a plurality of cells consisting of twocircular concentric walls forming freezing surfaces, the wallsofeach'cell having a space between them adapted for the circulation of aheat transf ferring fluid therein, the opposed freezing surfacesof'adjacent cells having 'an annular space between themJ adapted to holdwater to be frozen to said freezing surfaces, rconduits to convey the.heat transferring fluid to and fromsaid cells meansto take heat fromthe heat transferring fluid, meansl to give heat to the heattransferring fluid.

5. In anice making system a plurality of cells consisting of twocircular concentric 1walls forming freezing surfaces, the walls of ,eachcell having a space between them adapted for'the circulation of a heattransferring fluid. therein, the opposed freezing 'surfaces of adjacentcells having an'annulary space between them adapted to hold 'water to befrozen to said freezing surfaces,

conduits to convey the' heat transferring fluid to and from. said cells,means to take heat from'the. heat transferring fluid, means -to giveheat to the heat transferring fluid,

means to alternately cause the heat -trans'- ferring fluid to take heatfrom and give heat to ,a cell to cause ioe to form on said freezingsurfaces and to'thaw t e ice so formed from frozen contact with sa1dfreezing surfaces.

6. In a cell for making ice consisting of two circular concentric wallsforming freezing surfaces, each wall composed of a plurality-of metalplates, la circularI metal ring and a plurality of separators betweenthe plates, the plates of each freezing surface being fastened to theopposite circumferences of the circular metal 'ring att-heinbottom edgesand being fastened to each other y and'to the separators so forming aspace be- 1 tween the freezing surfaces adapted for the. circulation ofa heat-` transferring fluid therein. i

-7. In a cell. for making ice consisting of two cicularconcentric wallsforming freezfreezing surface be the circulation of a heat transferringfluid therein.v

8. In a cell for making ice consisting of/ two circular concentric Wallsforming freezing surfaces, e'ach Wall composedof a.plu

rality of metal plates, two circular metal rings and a plurality ofvertical separator strlpsbetween the plates, the plates of eachfastenedto the opposite circumferences o the circular metal ringsattheir top, and bottom edges, the separator strips exten from' the upperring to the lower ring, the plates being fastened to the separators,- soforming spaces l between th: freezing Surfes adapted fer the circulationof aheatv transferring fluid therein.

9. In' a/icell for making ice consisting of two; circularooncentricwalls forming freezing surfaces, each wall' composed of a pluralityofmetal plates, a circular metal ring and a' plurality ofverticalseparator strips, the`plates of each freezing surface being riveted tothe opposite circumferences of j the circular metal ring at theirbottomedges, a separator strip at each "ertical plate joint of each freezingsurface, the vertical .joints of the inner and outer sets of platesarranged in. staggeredv relation, the vertica1 edges of the plates beingrivetedto the separator strips, so forming spaces betweenthe freezingsurfaces adapted `for the circula-A tionjof .aheat transferring fluidtherein.

10. In an ice making apparatus, the com'- bination.` of "a tank forholding water to be frozen and a plurality of circularconcentrie-'freezing cells located therein, each. of

.saidV lcells being composed offtwo concentric wallsfspaced apart so astoA form a. channel' for the circulation of a refrigerant between saidwallsmsaid concentric freezing cells be; ing suitably spaced from eachother and the tank.

' outer cellbeing spaced from the wall of said In testimony whereof IVatlix my signature in presence of two witnesses. *y GARDNERl VOORHEEIS.`

, C. A., HUBERT, I t A. H. RITrER.

